All the Stars in Heaven
by AirForceInTraining
Summary: The death of a CSI on the team and what results from it. One shot- hope you like.


All the Stars in Heaven

It was loud. The bang seemed to echo through the house into the endless night. When someone dies, we CSIs come. When we die, that leaves those we know to come. It was loud. Followed by a thud. Gil Grissom won't forget that sound. Before the bang, before the thud, the yell. The scene was supposed to be secure. Greg and Sara were processing the upstairs. The cops didn't secure the closet.

Downstairs, Gil Grissom was with Det. Jim Brass when they heard Sara's voice yell something muffled. The bang of the gunshot made them jump. The thud had them and other cops scrambing towards the stairs. The sound of a window breaking was heard as they were running upstairs. The cops reached the second floor as Greg's agonized voice yelled for Sara. Jim looked at Gil when there was no response.

The door banged open and they saw Greg with a gash on his forehead trying to stop the bleeding coming from Sara's chest. The call for paramedics fell deaf to Jim and Gil who were stunned as they watched their friend's life drain away. Gil knelt next to Sara and tried to wake her up, bu there was no avail. Her breathing stopped before them, and Sara SIdle passed into the night before their eyes.

Greg fell back as tears filled his eyes. Sara died for him. Later they were downstairs as Swing Shift arrived to take the second scene. They didn't know who. They went in and when they saw the body, they froze. Gil asked Greg what happened. Greg swallowed the liump in his throat and told all.

The perp came out of a closet with a gun and aimed at the first person he saw, Greg. Sara yelled and Greg turned to see the guy cock the gun. Sara shoved Greg away and the trigger was pulled. Sara died so Greg wouldn't. Sara died a hero and would forever be known as such.

There was just one innocent question Greg asked and hoped someone had an answer. He asked 'why?' They looked at him as he looked at the stars. He asked again. He asked what does the world gain by losing people like Sara? Ever since the shift split, Sara had been Greg's mentor as a CSI. She taught him things, and looked out for him, always covering his back.

No one had an answer. No One.

Gil went back to the lab so he could look up emergency contacts in Sara's file. He dreaded making the call, but it had to be done. He read the list of emergency contacts, and one number was listed. A brother. Gil picked up the phone and dialed the number. The voice that answered seemed happy. Gil asked for a Trenton Sidle. The coive got worried as he answered that he was Trenton. Gil had never been told about a brother. Trenton had only been mentioned once or twice.

Gil said that he had some back news about Sara, and then there was a pause. Trenton let out a shaky break before asking what happened to his baby sister. Gil told him then softly asdded that he should come to Vegas right away.

Greg appeared in the doorway and aksed if Gil was talking to Trenton. When Gril nodded Greg asked for the phone. Greg was the onoy one who had met Trenton. When Sara became his mentor they fould out a lot about each other so they were close.

Gil listened as Greg talked to Sara's brother. He seemed to know exactly what to say to Trenton. After Greg hung up ther room was silent. The two silently agreed to get a drink from the break room. When they did, they found Nick sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. His hand was bloodied up, and the two knew what happened. Greg grabbed an ice pack. NIck didn't realize that the two were there until Greg took Nick's hand and put the ice pack on it before sitting on the other couch.

Nick asked if they were there when Sara passed. Gil softly answerd yes. Nick shook his head. 'It's not right' was all NIck said before he leaned back and stared at the ceiling.

Greg got up and walked to the locker room to be alone, but found Warrick sitting and thinking. He was staring at Sara's locker. Greg had seen pictures in Sara's locker, but never saw what of. Curious, he stepped over there and sat next to Warrick. They looked at each other and a silent agreement was made. Warrick opened the locker and the pictures were shown.

The first was of a 13 year old Sara and a 15 year old Trenton with their surfboards, sitting in the sand as a dog lay at their feet.

The two CSIs smiled at the innocence of their friend lost.

The second was of Sara not too long ago with her brother again. They were sitting on a couch and Sara had a cowboy friend of hers next to her and two more friends in front of them. They seemed close. Greg and Warrick had never seen or heard of them though.

The third was of Sara surfing a wave which looked huge. They hadn't known she surfed.

The fourth, and last, was of a young Sara again. She was with a boy her age with a cowboy had on, 'probably the cowboy from earlier' Greg and Warrick thought, and theyw ere standing with an adult who probably ment something to those two.

Looking at those pictures made them realize they don't know much about their friend. As they closed the locker door they prayed they could take it all back and take the chance to know Sara more.

Still unaccounted for was Catherine Willows. She sat in her car looking out at the city lights from the hill she was parked on. Everyone knew of the argument she had with Sara which resulted in Sara's suspension. They had their disagreements, but Catherine didn't hate Sara. Catherine knew a good person died that night. Catherine knew it wasn't fair and Sara did nothing to deserve death no matter how honorable it was. Sara should still be here. Catherine would catch the guy if it was the last thing she ever did.

The sun rose and with that the CSIs headed out. Greg, Warrick, Nick, Gil, Catherine, and Jim all had plans to crash at Jim's place and settle all of this with a few drinks. As they left reporters wer swarming, but none of the gang spoke. None of them could.

There was so much they wanted everyone to know about Sara yet it couldn't be put into words.

That night, Greg was unaccounted for at the Lab. He sat on the hood of his car leaning back as he looked up into the heavens. His cell phone was ringing, but he couldn't care. Trenton had arrived and told them there was nothing to pack up at Sara's place. She was planning to move soon. Tonight was the night she was going to quit and move with her childhood friend, Kent the cowboy, to Tennessee where they'd just party for awhile. One day. If only the heavens could have given her that day, Sara would have lived.

There was a letter Sara left for Greg amongst the others. At the end of his letter was a part of a poem. Trenton said Sara had wrote it awhile back. Greg opened the poem and smiled at Sara's familiar handwriting in the moonlight. It was called All the Stars in Heaven

What would you do for all the stars in Heaven?

What would you do,

to ride a shooting star and see Earth at it's best?

What would you do,

to be that Angel in the heaves watching down over those you love?

Catherine sat in her office brooding. Sara risked it all. The job to stand up for what she knew was right, even though it landed her suspended. Her life, to save someone who now has another chance in life. She did it for the best. She was going to leave so she wrote letters. 'It seems she knew she was going to die before us' was all Catherine thought.

Would you fight everything you believe,

to be able to see the milky way?

Would you give up your life,

your family and all you love,

just to live up in the clouds?

What woud you do for all the stars in heaven

The words from the letter kept floating in to Catherine's mind and continued to linger there.

What would you do?

Nick sat in his apartment nursing his bruised and battered hand from punching a wall. This weas all wrong. Sara died too young. Nick knew that if Sara was going to leave the world, she did as she deserved. Sara died as she was in life, a Hero.

What would you do for all the stars in heaven?

To see them in their prime,

as they shine gracefully as if by magic?

The words in Sara's letter made NIck smile dispite all that was going on. ONe short poem, or a part of one at the end of his letter. It made him think of the future.

What woudl you do for all the stars in heaven?

To see every star created and watch them live?

What would you do amongst those stars,

the ones we gaze upon and give us hope?

To be there and shine so those below you,

will know to hang on?

Nick got up and went on his porch. Never in his life had the night sky looked as beautiful as it does tonight. The lights of Vegas couldn't drown the shining of Heaven's Angels mongst those stars, and NIck knew Sara was one of them.

What would you do for all the stars in heaven?

What would you do?

Warrick sat in the bar with a half empty glass of bear in front of him. His mind goind over the words in Sara's farewell letter. He could quote the whole thing by now. It doesn't make sense how some verse of a poem could have such an impact on him. Sara's letter had said he would learn a lot if he understood that poem. Warrick got it, he got it, but it was too late and Sara was gone.

What would you do for all the stars in heaven?

What would you do to be able to walk the clouds,

amongst those who are angels,

guiding people to take the right path?

What would you do to be an angel in heaven,

and give people their redemption?

What would you do?

Warrick knew what Sara did. She made him think twice about his life and the way it was going when he arrived. She didn't have to do anything to be an angel in heaven. She already was an angel, heaven was the only option that awaited her.

What woudl you do for all the stars in heaven?

Would you give it all, all you are,

stand strong with no fear in your heart,

to be able to see all the stars in that beautiful sky?

Warrick sighed and downed some more beer. Sara did.

What would you do for all the stars in heaven?

What would you do?

Gil sat in his office with Jim. They had read each other's letters and found poems at the bottom of both. Well, verses from the same poem. It told them something simple. Sara wasn't afraid to leave. She was happy with the way everything turned out.

What would you do for all the stars in heaven?

To fly amongst them all,

free with no regrets?

What would you do to get those angel's wings,

and sit at Heaven's gates to greet those you left behind,

and be sure that they'll arrive safe and sound?

The two men downed a shot and sighed.

What would you do to always feel warm,

with the glow of the stars in heaven around y ou?

What would you do to feel the love,

the warmth of the love,

shining forever like all the stars in heaven?

What would you do?

The day of Sara's funeral they all stood around the casket as the priest's words filled their ears. Then that cowboy, Kent, stepped up. He said...he said Sara long ago wrote something for Kent's sister's funeral. They were 10 at the time. He began to read it. It's words floated and each word from each letter was read and the ending...finally heard.

All the stars in heaven is what awaited her in the end,

because everything she did was for others.

She was the star shining in the night sky,

that bright star we call our sun keeping us warm,

the saving grace keeping us on the road to redemption for past mistakes,

the guiding light, the fallen angel who was there for us.

What she did was all the stars in heaven,

was live life to the fullest.

All the stars in heaven.

She'll await us at heaven's gates because the angel guiding us,

is the one we say goodbye to doday.

It is because of this one angel's gracem

that we all are given the greatest gift of all.

We all have been given,

all the stars in heaven

We all have been given,

a second chance to live life.

All the stars in heavem

is the chance to live life.

We all have been given by the fallen angels around us,

the freedom to live life and live it to the fullest.

What would you do for all the stars in heaven?

What has been done for you.

The end. Sara wrote it for someone else and since she had the knowledge, she lived it. Now she passed it on like it was passed to her. Everyone started leaving and Nick saw Trenton stare at the casket and smirk as he said 'Scout, you already had all the stars in heaven the day you were born.'

Nick grinned and turned as Warrick called his name. They'd all turn our alright even though a limb was lost to every CSI, but they knew Sara'd be watching over them, and covering their backs.

That night the gang met up on the roof and together sat in silence stargazing at the gifts they'd been given.


End file.
